In the field of mineral sorting, sorting machines generally comprise a single stage of sensor arrays controlling via micro controller or other digital control system a matched array of diverters, usually air jets. Sensors can be of various forms, either photometric (light source and detector), radiometric (radiation detector), electromagnetic (source and detector or induced potential), or more high-energy electromagnetic source/detectors such as x-ray source/detector (fluorescence or transmission) or gamma-ray source/detector types. Matched sensor/diverter arrays are typically mounted onto a substrate, either vibrating feeder, belt conveyor or free-fall type, which transports the material to be sorted past the sensors and thus on to the diverters where the material is diverted.
The drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be expanded or reduced to help improve the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. Similarly, some components and/or operations may be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block for the purposes of discussion of some of the embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, while the disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.